


First Date Episode

by Creneau



Category: Community (TV)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Dancing, Dating, Dorms, First Dates, First Kiss, Flirting, Forehead Touching, Friends to Lovers, Holding Hands, Implied Sexual Content, Kissing, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Making Out, School Dances, Season/Series 02, Walks In The Park, these dorks can’t keep their hands off each other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:33:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25087708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Creneau/pseuds/Creneau
Summary: Jeff and Abed have been lingering around each other since the My Dinner with Andre homage. Abed decides to address this by asking Jeff out for lunch.[Currently working on the last chapter]
Relationships: Abed Nadir/Jeff Winger
Comments: 28
Kudos: 91





	1. An Introduction to Midday Dates

Ever since the My Dinner with Andre homage, Jeff and Abed would linger around the library until the rest of the study group left. Jeff would ”text” on his phone while everyone else made their way out of the study room. In reality, he was making lists of things he wanted to talk about with Abed – like opinions on new TV episodes, jokes that he thought would make Abed laugh, and amusing moments from his day. 

Abed would either fidget with his belongings, give an excuse to stay behind, or leave with the rest of the group only to come back saying he ”forgot something.” It was usually a pen. Jeff would smirk and look up from his phone every time. He would bring something up from his list and watch Abed light up during their conversations. Abed would sit back down or lean against the table close to Jeff. Sometimes they would move their conversations to the couch to get more comfortable.

Today, Abed gave less of an excuse and more of an admission.

”Troy, I need to speak with Jeff about something,” he said while going in for their handshake. 

”Yeah, okay. I’ll see you later buddy.” Troy looked over curiously at Jeff before he left the room. 

Jeff chuckled and put away his phone, ”That wasn’t very subtle.”

Abed sat back down in his chair and stared at Jeff, studying him. This made Jeff shift uncomfortably.

”Why would I need to be _subtle_?” Abed asked while raising an eyebrow. 

Jeff was silent for a moment, which wasn’t like him. 

”Jeff?” Abed asked again, ”Why would friends need to be subtle to speak with each other?” 

It felt like Abed could see right through him, like he saw the gears moving around in his brain. 

”Ah, well, maybe that wasn't the best choice of words. What was it that you wanted to speak about, Abed?” Jeff tried to change the subject. 

Abed shook his head and got up from his chair to stand. He paced back and forth.

”We will get there,” he said, ”Let’s explore _this_ first. It makes more sense for our characters.”

Jeff let out a laugh that he hoped didn't sound nervous, ”You’re acting like a director again.”

Abed stopped pacing.

”A director would know what was coming next, or at least what _should_ come next. There would be a script to work with. We don’t have that...,” Abed hesitated before finishing, ” _Anything could happen_.” 

Jeff shifted in his seat. He opened his mouth but nothing came out. What was wrong with him today?

”Is this a secret?” Abed asks, ”These moments alone after study group ends?” 

Jeff decides to go with the truth. He acts differently around Abed, more prone to honesty. He might as well embrace it.

”I figured this was an unspoken thing,” he finally says, ”We want to spend time together without actually addressing it.”

Abed nods at this.

”I appreciated our conversation on my birthday. _No, not the restaurant one_ ,” Abed clarifies before Jeff can interrupt, ”At the diner... about _why_ I picked that film for my homage and how we spent more time together last year.”

”I appreciated it too,” Jeff agrees.

They’re both quiet for a moment.

Abed moves closer to him.

”So... why are we doing _this_?” Abed moves his hands between them, ”Dancing around it instead of just spending time together?”

Abed is now standing right in front of Jeff. 

”I don’t know,” Jeff says, looking up at Abed, ”I guess it’s kind of silly.”

”Yes, it is silly,” Abed agrees, ”That’s why we’re going to have lunch together off-campus today.”

” _We are?_ ” Jeff asks. He shouldn’t be surprised by Abed’s forwardness at this point.

Abed nods enthusiastically, ”Yes. That’s actually what I wanted to ask you about. Given _this_ ,” he moves his hands between them again, ”I’m skipping the asking and assuming you would say yes.” 

Jeff laughs at that and gets up.

”Abed, you assumed right,” he answers while gathering his things.

”Cool, cool cool cool,” says Abed. He visibily let’s out some tension in his shoulders.

They leave the library together and head towards Jeff’s car.

”Where are we having lunch?” Jeff asks, playing with his keys as they walk.

”There’s a nice bistro nearby that I’ve wanted to try,” answers Abed, ”I looked at their menu online and they have a good selection.”

Jeff knew that Abed was particular about food. Abed always felt more comfortable looking at menus before going somewhere.

”That sounds good to me,” Jeff replies.

Jeff unlocks his car and they both get inside. Abed gives him the directions and they’re on their way.

Abed plays with the sun visor. It should be annoying. Jeff should tell him to stop, but he keeps getting _distracted_ by Abed’s hands. He does his best to keep his eyes on the road.

After a few minutes, Jeff clears his throat and asks, ”Why _today_?”

Abed moves his hand away from the sun visor, glances at Jeff, then turns away to gaze out the window.

”It’s finally sunny today and the bistro has an outside dining area that looks nice,” Abed answers.

Jeff realizes that Abed must have been planing this for a while. It had been rainy and cloudy for _weeks_. The thought of them lingering around each other while Abed was contemplating a special lunch outing made him feel... _something_ in the pit of his stomach.

Jeff parked outside the bistro and they both hesitated to leave the car. 

”Abed?” Jeff leaned over the console and looked at him.

”Yeah, Jeff?” Abed looked back.

”Is this _a date_?” he asked.

Abed broke the eye contact and wrung his hands.

”I’d _like_ it to be,” Abed admitted, voice breaking slightly.

Jeff goes quiet, which made Abed uneasy.

”Are... _are you mad?_ This doesn’t have to be a date! I should have asked before. I know we both wanted to spend more time together, but you probably only meant _platonically_. I should have been direct about my _romantic_ _intentions_ and-” Abed’s rambling stopped when Jeff reached over to place his hand over Abed’s.

”Abed,” he spoke softly, ”I _want_ it to be a date too.”

”Cool, cool cool cool,” Abed said for the second time that day.

They both let out a breath they didn’t realize they were holding. Jeff rubbed his thumb against Abed’s knuckles and smiled at him.

”Do you want to go have lunch now?” he asked.

Abed looked at Jeff then at the bistro. He had been imagining this for weeks and now it was actually happening.

”Yeah, first date episode!” Abed replied happily. 

Jeff laughed and repeated him, ”First date episode.”


	2. Advanced Hand Holding

The table the waiter brings them to is small and in the corner of the patio. It feels _intimate_. Abed taps his finger against the table and buries his face in the menu, even though he already knows what it says.

Jeff places his hand over Abed’s again, hoping this would calm him.

Abed slowly looks up from the menu.

”Hey there,” says Jeff, ”You okay?”

The nerves seem to melt away and Abed squeezes Jeff’s hand.

”I’m okay. Great, actually,” Abed answers, ”This is just a lot to process, you know?”

Jeff gives an understanding look then moves his chair closer to Abed’s.

”You mean, it’s hard to process being _this close_ to my handsome face?” he jokes.

This gets a chuckle out of Abed, which makes Jeff feel proud. He loves making Abed laugh... more than he does with the rest of the study group, which should have been a sign.

Abed reaches out to gently touch Jeff’s cheek, making him blush. 

”Hmm,” he hums, ”It _is_ a pretty handsome face.” 

Jeff leans into the touch. _Damn_ , Abed’s hand feels so right against his skin.

They are interrupted when the waiter returns to ask for their order.

Abed, unsurprisingly, orders noodles. Jeff orders a salad. They chat and hold hands under the table while they wait for their food. 

”I’m glad we’re doing this,” Jeff says during a pause in the conversation, ”This is new for me. _Not dating obviously_ , but with another...” he trails off.

”With another man,” Abed finishes for him.

Jeff nods then asks, ”Is this new for you too?”

”No, but I wouldn’t say I’m experienced,” answered Abed.

Jeff gives him a look that takes Abed a moment to decipher. _Oh!_ He probably wants him to elaborate.

”I secretly dated a boy in high school,” Abed explains, ”Men have also hit on me before, like that one at the bar during Troy’s birthday.”

”Wait, a man hit on you that night?” Jeff asked. He sounded... _jealous?_

Abed nods to confirm this.

Jeff tries to remember details from that night, which is difficult due to the amount of alcohol he drank.

”Do you remember how I was wet?” Abed questions, trying to jog his memory, ”He threw a drink at me.”

Jeff remembers the wetness of Abed’s shirt. They leaned against each other in the backseat after Troy dropped off Britta. He regrets kissing her instead of him that night.

”He did _what?_ ” Now Jeff sounded protective.

Abed continues, ”Yeah, he threw a drink at my face. I led him on, I guess. I wasn’t interested. I just wanted to talk about the show Farscape.”

Jeff holds his hand tighter and presses their knees together.

”That was a shitty thing for him to do, Abed,” he states.

”I know, but I deserved it because-” Abed begins to rationalize.

”No,” Jeff interupts, ”It doesn’t matter if you were leading him on or not. He shouldn’t have done that. Also, if he didn’t want to listen to you then he didn’t deserve to be with you.”

Abed looks down at their hands and then back at Jeff.

”Yeah, you’re right,” he agrees, ”I’m glad it didn’t work out though. _This_ is better.”

The waiter gives them their food and they start eating. It’s a beautiful day and Jeff keeps smiling. Abed wants more days like this.

They finish eating lunch and Jeff insists on paying. Abed says that lunch was his idea and that Jeff can pay next time. _Next time. There’s going to be a next time._ Jeff forfeits the check. Abed takes out his phone to calculate the tip and gives a little extra. He quickly grabs Jeff’s hand again when he’s done.

They walk out of the bistro holding hands. Abed was worried that Jeff wouldn’t want to do that in public, but he never lets go as they walked past other people.

”We still have some time. How about we go on a walk in the park nearby?” Jeff suggests.

_More time to hold hands_ is all Abed can think of when he agrees.


	3. Rom-Coms 101

Abed feels content. 

They’re strolling around a small pond, there’s a breeze, and Jeff is listening to him talk about 90s sitcom tropes. 

Jeff feels content too.

He nods while Abed talks and offers his own opinions here and there. Jeff checks his watch and tells him they can stay for another 5 minutes.

”We should make the most of it then,” Abed declares. He leads Jeff to a more private part of the park.

Jeff laughs, ”Abed? Why are we behind a tree?”

His laughter dies down when he sees how Abed is looking at him. It’s a look of absolute _want_. People who say that Abed is unreadable are wrong.

Abed takes a step forward. They stand close together, arms brushing against each other. 

”I’d like to kiss you,” Abed whispers. Jeff can hear the whisper clearly from their proximity.

”Are we reenacting a scene from a rom-com?” Jeff asks. He’s nervous and stalling, which he hopes Abed doesn’t pick up on.

Abed moves his head to the side in thought then answers, ”No. There might be a scene like this in a rom-com, but I’m not doing a homage right now. Would it be a problem if I was?”

”It wouldn't be a problem if you told me _in advance_ ,” Jeff clarifies. He didn’t want a My Dinner with Andre repeat. 

”Understood. _But_ if I wanted to do a rom-com homage in the future...” Abed mused.

”Yes, Abed,” Jeff answers the impending question, ”I would be honored to do a rom-com homage with you. _For now_ , let’s do this...”

Jeff pulls Abed even closer by grabbing his hips. This causes Abed to gasp in surprise. He regains his composure and wraps his arms around Jeff’s neck. Abed stares at Jeff’s mouth then presses their lips together. It’s a chaste kiss, short and sweet. He feels Jeff grin against his lips the second before Abed pulls back to look at him. Jeff looks happy.

”Can we do that again?” he murmurs into Abed’s ear.

Abed answers by going in for another kiss, a longer one. He pushes Jeff against the tree behind them and combs his fingers through his hair. Jeff moans and responds by swiping his tongue along Abed’s lower lip. This makes Abed open his mouth for Jeff’s tongue. It’s incredible and Abed doesn’t want to stop. He’s suddenly angry at the concept of time and the need to breathe.

Jeff is the one that pulls back from the kiss this time. 

” _Wow_ ,” says Jeff. 

His hair is all ruffled and Abed giggles. They stay wrapped up in each other while they catch their breath. Abed leans his head on Jeff’s shoulder while Jeff rubs his back.

”Do we need to leave?” Abed looks down at Jeff’s watch. It’s not a digital one, so he has a hard time reading it. He can feel Jeff nod.

They reluctantly take a step back. Abed helps tidy up Jeff’s hair that he messed up. Jeff reaches for Abed’s hand and they walk out of the park together.

They make it back to Jeff’s car and they last less than a minute before diving in to touch each other again. Abed pulls on Jeff’s collar to bring him in for a kiss. Jeff grabs at Abed’s sides.

” _Closer_ ,” Jeff urges, ” _Come here_.”

Abed pulls himself over the car console and straddles Jeff’s lap in the driver’s seat. Jeff is impressed by how quickly he moved into this new position. He pushes his seat back to give them more room. Jeff hasn’t experienced this level of passion for some time. Being with Abed feels different, a _good_ kind of different.

He tries helping Abed take off his cardigan. Abed ends up elbowing the wheel and honking the car horn. Abed jumps in surprise at the loud noise and Jeff steadies them. 

”Whoops,” says Abed, flustered. 

They look at each other and then they both start laughing. 

”Well, that was _something_ ,” Jeff jokes. He rubs Abed’s arms.

”Maybe we can continue this later?” Abed asks, ”Do you want to come to my dorm tonight?” He sounds hopeful and a little eager.

The last time Jeff went to Abed’s dorm was to watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer after Abed’s Christmas episode. This visit would be under _very_ different circumstances. 

”Yes,” Jeff answers without having to think about it much. He wants this.

Abed climbs back over the car console to the passenger’s seat.

”Cool, cool cool cool.” 


	4. The Art of Movies & Making Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternative chapter title: First Date Part Two

The ride back to Greendale is peaceful. Abed closes his eyes and listens to the sounds around him – Jeff lightly tapping on the steering wheel, the car blinker when they turn, and the muffled music from a car nearby. The sounds get quieter. He must have dozed off, because he’s surprised when Jeff touches his shoulder to wake him up.

”Hey, Abed,” he hears Jeff say; the hand on his shoulder brushes against neck, ”We’re back at Greendale.”

” _What?_ ” Abed sputters. He jumps from the unexpected touch.

Jeff quickly removes his hand and gives Abed time to take in his surroundings again.

”I’m sorry,” Jeff apologies, ”I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Abed takes a deep breath. 

”It’s- it’s okay,” says Abed, ”I usually don’t fall asleep that easily.” 

Abed grabs his backpack and gets out of Jeff’s Lexus. They walk across campus together, close enough that their fingers sometimes brush against each other. They linger before they part ways for separate classes. 

”Hey, I’m looking forward to going to your dorm. What time should I come by?” Jeff asks in a low voice, not out of secrecy or shame, but because he only cares if Abed hears him right now. The intimate tone makes Abed’s heart beat faster. 

”8:00 PM,” Abed answers quickly.

”Great, see you then,” Jeff says with a wink before walking away.

The rest of the day is uneventful. If this was a TV show, Abed’s afternoon would be the part of the story that gets skipped or glossed over. His conversation with Troy being the exception.

”Hey, Abed!” Troy calls out to him from across the quad. 

Abed waves and walks over to meet him halfway. 

“Hi,” says Abed, putting up his hands for their handshake. Troy grins and they do their handshake like always. It’s routine, familiar – the complete opposite of his day so far.

“I’ve barely seen you today! You weren’t at the cafeteria for lunch. Where were you?” Troy asks.

Abed is about to come up with an excuse and lie about where he was, but then he remembers the deal they made on October 15th, 2009: Friends don’t lie to each other. He decides to tell the truth without going into detail for now. He needs to talk with Jeff about that first. 

“I was with Jeff. We’re hanging out more,” Abed answers. He plays with his bag strap and bites his lip.

Troy grins again. Abed’s head starts racing. What did _that_ grin mean? Does Troy know something? 

“That’s awesome!” Troy exclaimed, “You mentioned missing hanging with him.”

Abed and Troy had a long talk after his birthday. He _almost_ told him about his crush on Jeff that night. Abed nods and mirrors Troy’s grin – this gesture makes Troy continue. 

“Anyway, do you want to rewatch Pulp Fiction tonight?” Troy asks. 

_Damn it._ Abed would have definitely said yes if he didn’t already have plans with Jeff. He decides to tell the truth again, well _half_ the truth. How could he not given the offer? It would be completely out of character and Troy would worry. 

“I can’t,” he answers, “I’m sorry. I’m hanging out with Jeff tonight. How about we rewatch it another night this week?”

Troy raises an eyebrow then laughs.

“Wow, twice in a day? You must have _really_ missed hanging out with Jeff. It’s funny that you’re choosing one-on-one time with him over Pulp Fiction again.”

“I didn’t know he planned a Pulp Fiction party,” Abed corrects him, “I wasn’t aware there was a choice between the two that night.”

Troy hums before responding, “True, but you know _this_ time.”

“I made plans with him first today, _that’s all_ ,” Abed gets defensive before he realizes that Troy is just teasing him, “I suppose it’s a little funny though.”

Troy gives him a strange look – skeptical, maybe?

“Abed, it’s fine,” Troy reassures him, “We can watch Pulp Fiction tomorrow night.”

Abed must have looked worried. They do their handshake again before saying goodbye. 

“Bye Troy,” says Abed.

Troy walks away then turns around to shout, “Have fun with Jeff!” 

This makes Abed feel flustered. He’s thankful for the distance between them as he waves to Troy. 

  
It’s 7:30 PM. 

Jeff is at his apartment getting ready. He keeps playing with his hair and shirt. Nothing looks right and he’s quickly losing his cool. He pulls off his shirt and searches for a different one. 

“ _Shit_ ,” he mutters while standing in the middle of his bedroom shirtless. Jeff is overthinking everything. _This is Abed_. He should pick something simple and try to calm down. Jeff lays down on his bed and stares at the ceiling for a few minutes before changing one last time.

Jeff is finally ready. He’s wearing one of his go-to long sleeved blue buttoned shirts. He also managed to mostly get his hair under control. Jeff gets in his Lexus and heads back to Greendale.  
  


It’s finally 8:00 PM.

There’s a knock at Abed’s door. Abed jumps up from his spot on the couch and opens the door.

“Hey, Jeff,” Abed greets him. 

”Are we going to race for the top bunk again?” Jeff asks.

He expected, or rather _hoped_ for, a laugh. Abed loved callbacks. Instead, Abed is pensive. He’s looking Jeff up and down while in thought.

”That depends,” says Abed, ”Do you _want_ to stay over?”

Jeff wants to shout yes. He wants to push Abed against the nearest surface and kiss him until they’re both breathless. This is different from the park. If they do that here, there are more _possibilities_. He may or may not have brought a toothbrush and an extra pair of underwear in his bag just in case.

”Only if _you_ want me to,” he replies, not wanting to overstep.

”Yes, I want you to. The bunk bed race can wait though,” Abed answers. He takes off his cardigan and sits on the couch, patting the spot next to him. It’s an inviting sight. 

Jeff sits on the couch and puts an arm around Abed. It feels like this is where he’s meant to be. 

”This will be like the times you stayed over last year!” Abed says before turning on the TV, ” _Well_ , except with kissing,” he adds.

”That’s _definitely_ a bonus.” Jeff kisses Abed’s cheek.

Abed nuzzles into Jeff’s side and leans his head on the other man’s shoulder. They watch Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope in a mostly comfortable silence while holding hands. Abed offers the occasional trivia and Jeff comments on Han Solo being attractive.   
  


When the credits start to roll, Abed makes a move to continue their make out session from earlier that day. He ends up straddling Jeff’s lap again. This time there are no car horns to accidentally honk. Jeff notes how soft Abed’s lips are from all the lip balm he uses. Abed notes how eager Jeff gets when they’re close like this. 

Jeff’s hands explore underneath Abed’s shirt. He traces his fingers down Abed’s spine. This tickles and makes him giggle against Jeff’s lips. 

”You’re _adorable_ ,” Jeff tells him, now pressing their foreheads together.

”Yeah, I know,” says Abed matter-of-factly. Abed moves to kiss along Jeff’s jaw and then whispers in his ear, ”What _else_ am I?”

Abed’s lips then travel down to Jeff’s neck where he starts to nip and suck at the sensitive skin. Jeff grabs Abed’s hips and squeezes. 

” _Hot_ ,” Jeff gasps out unfiltered, ”You’re hot too.” 

”Mmmhmm,” Abed hums against Jeff’s neck. 

”And...” Jeff continues, ”You’re amazing, funny...”

”And rakishly good looking?” Abed adds, recalling what Jeff said last year.

”Yes,” Jeff agrees wholeheartedly, “I meant that.”

Abed thinks about how Jeff said that comment in front of the study group. Then he thinks about the study group _more_ and he can’t ignore it. He moves his lips away to bury his head in the crook of Jeff’s neck.

“Hey Jeff?” he mumbles, barely audible.

“Yeah?” Jeff is now playing with Abed’s hair. 

“Are we going to tell the others about this?” Abed asks.

Jeff’s fingers pause their movements against Abed’s scalp.

“I... I want to explore this more first, just us,” Jeff answers, “Is that okay?”

Abed lifts his head up and nods. He looks at the space between Jeff’s eyes, which is easier for him.

“That’s okay. I feel the same way, _but_...” he continues, “I’d like to tell Troy sooner than later.”

Jeff thinks about how it would be with Troy knowing. If he could keep it a secret, if there would be any jealously, and if he would be supportive. Troy knowing is important to Abed, which settles it.

“Yeah,” Jeff decides, “You can tell Troy soon.”

Abed sighs in relief.

“Good,” says Abed.

They smile at each other in understanding.

“Want to make out more now?” asks Jeff, “Or are we going to keep talking about your best friend?”

”Make out,” Abed answers. 

He bounces in Jeff’s lap with excitement and then captures Jeff’s lips again. Jeff moans against Abed’s mouth and their make out session continues.

Jeff feels happy. He doesn’t want to screw this up. Abed’s soft lips and the hand now caressing his cheek make his worries melt away.


	5. Exploration of Affection

It was morning and Jeff was still there. This was officially the longest first date Abed had ever experienced. Did this still _count_ as their first date? Last night, they ditched the bunk bed race in favor of staying on the couch. Abed ended up sprawled on top of Jeff. Their legs were tangled together and Jeff’s arms were wrapped around Abed’s waist. 

Abed didn’t expect Jeff to be this _affectionate_ with him, especially this early on. He stared at his tired face and messy hair – he looked perfect. At some point, Jeff had taken off his buttoned shirt and belt to be more comfortable. His sleeveless undershirt showed off his biceps. Yeah, this was _definitely_ doing it for Abed.

Abed didn’t want this to end just yet, but they have to go to classes and study group. It’s rare that he wakes up not immediately wanting to escape the heat of whatever kept him warm the night before. Next time, they would have to do this on a weekend. He wants longer mornings with Jeff. He’s deciding how to wake him up when the alarm clock across the room makes the decision for him.

Jeff’s eyes slowly open and he looks at Abed on top of him.

“Huh? What?” Jeff says groggily trying to recognize the room around him. He glances up at Abed and smiles, “Oh, right.” His voice sounds deeper in the morning, which Abed craves to make a reoccurring sound in his life.

Abed gives Jeff’s forehead a quick peck.

“Hey sleepy head. We should probably get up,” Abed suggests, still on top of Jeff.

Jeff rubs his eyes against the back of his hands. He shakes his head slightly.

“Do we have to?” Jeff asks. He wraps his arms tighter around Abed and sighs contently. Abed can feel Jeff smile against his neck. And he thinks _Abed_ is the adorable one? 

“I prefer this to Anthropology,” Jeff adds. This is much better than Duncan’s so-called classes. Jeff feels tempted to hold Abed in his arms all day. 

“Me too, but we have places to be and things to study,” Abed says. 

“I’d rather be studying _you_ ,” Jeff flirts, fully aware of how cheesy he sounds. Abed laughs, which makes Jeff feel more satisfied than he’d like to admit.

“This would make an _interesting_ diorama,” Abed replies. He gets up to Jeff’s disappointment. 

Jeff looks at the digital alarm clock. 

“ _Shit_ ,” Jeff curses, “There isn’t enough time for me to freshen up at my place.” 

Jeff stands up and attempts to smooth out the wrinkles in his pants. 

Abed looks at Jeff’s disheveled appearance. His real bed head, the hickeys on his neck, and his pants in need of a dry clean. He feels oddly proud of making him look this way.

“How can I help?” asks Abed while pointing.

Jeff plays with his hair before answering, “I have hair products in my car. I just need a damp towel to wet it. I might have a change of clothes in my trunk. I have a toothbrush and toothpaste in my bag.” Jeff realizes he’s more prepared than he thought.

“Okay,” says Abed, “I can get you a damp towel.”

Jeff smiles, “Thank you.” 

Abed grabs Jeff’s blue buttoned shirt that’s folded on the table and hands it to him. He’s not sure where the belt ended up. Jeff kisses Abed on the cheek before heading to his car. 

The campus is eerily quiet at this time. Jeff has never associated Greendale with _calmness_. He grabs his hair products from the glove compartment then checks his trunk. Luckily, there is a change of clothes inside! He quickly heads back to Abed’s dorm. Getting ready for the day in Abed’s company feels _domestic_. He likes it.   
  


The day goes by without anyone noticing the slightly longer gazes and grins exchanged between Abed and Jeff. 

After study group, they both linger behind like usual. Jeff moves his chair back and Abed leans against the table in front of him. 

“I’m watching Pulp Fiction with Troy tonight,” Abed tells him.

Jeff remembers the party he threw for Abed and the not so authentic briefcase he bought for him. He also remembers Troy taking him aside to confess his jealousy during the redo party at the restaurant. 

“Sounds like fun,” says Jeff, trying to keep face. His knee starts involuntarily bouncing up and down. 

“Is something wrong?” Abed asks. He reaches out for Jeff’s knee to help steady him. 

“You and Troy are _close_ ,” Jeff notes.

Abed saw this conversation coming. 

“Yeah, we are,” Abed states, “And?” 

Jeff sighs. “Am I... am I _interfering_ with something here?” He asks.

Abed blinks at him. “Are you interfering? Jeff, _I_ asked _you_ out,” Abed reminds him.   
  
Jeff’s face flushes with embarrassment. Why was he _like this_? Why couldn’t he accept a good thing? 

“As you know, I usually wait for other people to approach me. That’s how I like it,” Abed adds, “ _Me_ asking _you_ was a big deal.”

“I know, I know. It’s just- you two... it seemed like such a _perfect_ match and I, before this, I assumed-“ Jeff rambles. 

“Stop,” Abed interrupts, “My friendship with Troy is special, but it’s not like _that_. I would appreciate this not becoming a fight.”

Jeff puts up his hands in surrender, “No,” Jeff says, “I’m not trying to fight, I’m just-”

“A little insecure?” Abed offers as an answer. 

Jeff doesn’t feel the need to lie his way out of this.

“Yes,” he agrees, “I’m a little insecure sometimes.”

Abed squeezes Jeff’s knee and looks around. No one is nearby. He gets up and starts closing the blinds in the study room.

“Uhh, what are you doing?” Jeff asks, knowing full well what Abed is doing, but still needing the verbal acknowledgment.

“I was planning on making out with you,” Abed answers. He finishes closing the blinds and leans against the table in front of Jeff again.

“ _Here_?” Jeff questions. He suddenly feels small under Abed’s gaze.

“That okay?” Abed asks, he turns his head to the side in contemplation. 

Jeff nods. He can feel himself falling fast for the man in front of him.

“ _God, yes_ ,” Jeff answers. He stands up and cups Abed’s cheeks before kissing him. 

Abed kisses him back and pushes himself up to sit on the table. He wraps his legs around Jeff’s waist. Jeff gasps and moves his hands to Abed’s hips. 

After a few blissful moments, they hear a familiar voice and rush to pull away from each other. Abed wipes his mouth on his sleeve.

“Hello! It’s just little ol’ Dean!” Dean Pelton announces himself, barging into the room. He looks around and is surprised to only see the two of them. “Oh, looks like I’m late. Hello Abed. _Jeffery_.”

“What is it, Dean?” Jeff asks impatiently.

“I have some news!” he exclaims, “We’re having a dance this weekend.”

“ _Shocker_ ,” Jeff scoffs, “How many dances is that this year? 10?”

Abed laughs and Jeff beams at him. He has to suppress the urge to kiss him again by gripping the chair tightly.

“Ahem,” the Dean clears his throat. He gives them a look of _interest_ that makes Jeff uncomfortable.

“Excuse us, Dean Pelton,” says Abed coming to the rescue, “Jeff and I need to work on something.”

They grab their belongings and Abed leads him out of the room by his shoulders. 

“Thank you,” Jeff whispers to him.  
  


They’re done with their classes for the day. Jeff parked his car in a secluded spot, so he could make out with Abed in peace. Abed needs to head to his dorm soon to watch Pulp Fiction with Troy. They’re making the most of their last few minutes together. 

They’re in the backseat with Jeff straddling Abed this time. The moans Abed makes whenever Jeff grinds against him are invigorating. 

Abed pulls away, “I need to go.”

“Okay,” Jeff catches his breath and slowly gets off of Abed. 

“I was thinking about the dance,” Abed states. 

“What about it?” Jeff asks while buttoning up his shirt. Abed had unbuttoned his shirt to feel his pecs while they made out. Abed had asked before he did it, which was new to Jeff. The people he dated in the past sometimes felt entitled to Jeff’s body in ways that he hadn’t realized until now. Not that he was _dating_ Abed – they were still exploring this.

“Do you want to go?” Abed asks. 

Jeff pauses then questions, “ _Together_?”

“Yes, together. It doesn’t need to be _official_ ,” Abed does air quotes around the word official. “We can just hang out.”

It sounds nice and it could be fun. _Abed_ would make it fun. 

“Okay,” Jeff answers, “I mean, yes. I’ll go to the dance with you. _God_ , we sound like high schoolers.”

“Cool, cool cool cool,” says Abed happily.

They make sure to look presentable before getting out of Jeff’s car. The campus is mostly empty when they say their goodbyes. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” says Abed.

“See you tomorrow,” Jeff says back. He gets into the driver seat and is about to drive away when he stops. 

Jeff pulls down the window and shouts, “Abed, wait!”

Abed turns around and walks back to the car.

“ _Jeff_?” Abed’s face scrunches up for a second. “Did I forget something?” He checks his pockets.

“No, I... wanted to kiss you again,” Jeff admits.

Abed smiles and leans down to kiss Jeff through the car window.

“Bye,” Abed says, still close to Jeff’s lips. 

Jeff presses their foreheads together then says goodbye too. When did he become so sappy?  
  


Troy is waiting outside Abed’s dorm room. 

“Hey, man!” He greets him. 

“Hi, Troy! I hope you weren’t waiting long,” he worries. He _did_ make out with Jeff longer than he meant to.

Troy shakes his head. “Nah, I only got here a minute ago. Pulp Fiction time?” 

“Pulp Fiction Time,” Abed repeats in agreement. They do their handshake and head inside.

Abed sets up the film while Troy prepares the popcorn. They lounge on the couch – the same couch where Abed _slept_ _on_ _top_ _of_ _Jeff_ last night. Abed shifts uncomfortably and Troy notices.

“Are you _okay_?” asks Troy. He looks at him with what Abed figures is concern based on past situations.

“Yes,” Abed forces. He forgets that Troy knows him well and will see through this fake answer.

“Dude, _come on_ ,” Troy pleads. Abed pauses the film, only making it a few minutes in. 

“I’m okay,” Abed answers. Troy doesn’t seem convinced, so he continues, “I promise. I’m just _exploring_ something right now. It’s a good thing, so don’t worry.” He gets up to grab one of his stim toys – it’s a squishy ball that’s perfect for squeezing and pressing in between his fingers.

Troy nods and tries not to push for more information when Abed sits back down. His attempt is unsuccessful though, his will only lasts an hour into the film.

“Wait, what are you _exploring_?” Troy asks, “What does that even _mean_?”

Abed groans then pauses the film again. He hides his face in his hands and leans forward. His stim toy falls to the ground and rolls under the table.

Troy gets up to retrieve the stim toy. He sees a belt under the table that _definitely_ doesn’t belong to Abed.

“Are you... _seeing someone_?” Troy asks quietly. 

Alarms go off in his head. Troy hit it on the nose and Abed doesn’t know what to say. _Friends don’t lie to each other._ Abed goes silent, feeling stuck.

“Hey,” Troy whispers. He’s on the ground sitting in front of Abed. He’s holding the stim toy out for him. “It’s okay. We don’t need to talk about it right now if you don’t want to.”

Abed lifts his head and takes the stim toy.

“Thank you, Troy,” Abed manages.

  
They finish the film in silence. 

Troy gets up and asks, “You said it was a good thing earlier. Are you happy?” 

“Yes,” Abed answers, not forced this time. Troy smiles at him.

“Good,” says Troy.

They do their handshake.

Troy is about to leave when he asks, “What are you doing this weekend?”

Abed lights up, clearly excited for his plans, “I’m going to the dance!”

“Oh, I didn’t realize there was a dance this weekend,” Troy comments, “Geez, they throw _a lot_ of dances at this school, huh?”

“They do,” Abed agrees.

“Are you going with someone?” Troy asks before realizing the implications.

“Yes,” Abed answers, “I’m going to hang out with Jeff at the dance.”

Troy’s eyes widen. Jeff. Again. That’s... _interesting_. 

“Nice, have fun!” Troy says. He wants to ask more about it _so_ _badly_. 

They do their handshake again. Troy leaves with many unanswered questions. 


	6. The Dance

Abed was worried their first date would be a one-off story. It’s now become clear that this is going to be an arc. He hoped it was a long one.  
  


To Abed’s delight, the dance turned out to be Hollywood themed. Jeff came over to Abed’s dorm to get ready. He changed into his suit and asked Abed for his opinion on ties.

”The blue one,” Abed answers, ”It matches your eyes.”

Jeff blushes and puts on the blue tie. Abed also puts on a suit and tie. He stands close to help Abed with his black bowtie. He looks... _stunning_. Jeff is tempted to skip the dance and make out with Abed again. He can’t do that though. Abed asked him to the dance and he wouldn't have unless he really wanted to go together.

”Are you ready for our second date?” Abed asks, ”I didn’t expect a dance right off the bat.”

Abed looks excited and Jeff doesn’t want to ruin it with his fear of commitment. It’s _just_ a second date. It’s a fun themed dance with a cute person. He breathes in and out.

”Yes, I’m ready,” he answers.  
  


They arrive at the dance and take a look around. There’s a red carpet, velvet rope, fancy appetizers, and Garrett is pretending to be the paparazzi. He takes a picture of Abed and Jeff when they walk by.

No one else from the study group is there yet, but they’re still surrounded by familiar faces. 

”Pop, pop!” Magnitude cheers his catchphrase with the accompanying raise the roof gesture. 

”Hey, Magnitude!” says Abed while doing finger guns.

They also see Vicki dancing, Star-Burns still sporting the top hat, and Leonard photobombing all of Garrett’s paparazzi photos.

Chang is at a table nearby shoving appetizers into his mouth. They quickly walk past him hoping he won’t notice them. Chang looks up, almost choking on his food. 

”Winger!” he shouts.

Jeff lowers his head and puts his hand on Abed’s lower back. 

”Just keep walking,” he tells Abed.

Chang follows them and shouts again, ”Seacrest and slumdog!”

Jeff turns around to glare at him. 

”Chang. You’re still staying at my apartment out of the kindness of my heart. _Do you want that to change?_ ” he threatens. 

”Hey, I’m just being friendly,” Chang faux protests.

”Well, it’s not coming off that way,” Abed snaps at him, ”So go away.”

Jeff holds on tighter to Abed. He was looking forward to a potentially Chang-free evening. At least Abed was here to make the experience better.

Chang examines them closer. He looks them up and down – his eyes stop at Jeff’s hand still on Abed’s lower back.

”Okay, okay,” Chang gives up, ”Enjoy your _date_.”

Jeff removes his hand from Abed’s back and his whole body becomes stiff. His mind goes blank and he can’t come up with a comeback as Chang walks off.

”Jeff?” Abed asks, ”Are you alright?”

”I- um,” Jeff tries. He shoves his hands in his pockets to make touching Abed less tempting. 

”How about we get some air?” Abed suggests.

Jeff nods and heads towards the nearest exit.   
  


When they get outside, Jeff opens up.

”Why did he say _that_?” Jeff panics, ”Why did he say we were on a date?”

”People like Chang think calling people gay is funny,” Abed explains, ”I don’t think it was a genuine accusation.”

”True, but he saw that I was _touching_ you,” Jeff anxiously messes with his hair.

Abed moves closer to adjust Jeff’s hair back to normal. He lets his hands linger on Jeff’s shoulders. 

”Is that _so_ bad?” Abed asks. He doesn't want to minimize Jeff’s worries, so he adds, ”Should we not touch in public?” Abed removes his hands from Jeff’s shoulders.

Jeff reaches out for Abed’s hand.

”No... no, screw Chang,” Jeff decides, ”I want to have fun tonight and that includes actually _dancing_ at this dance. Want to head back inside?” 

Abed smiles and replies, ”Yes, I’d love that.”  
  


The hallway leading back to the dance is empty, so Jeff doesn’t let go of Abed’s hand yet. He only lets go before opening the door. 

They reenter and see Troy standing in front of them. 

”Oh, hey! You two look great,” Troy greets them, ”I was wondering if you were here yet.”

”Thank you!” says Abed, ”We got here a little while ago.”

”You look great too, Troy,” Jeff compliments him. 

Troy looks touched by that, ”Aw, that means a lot coming from someone as stylish as you.” 

Abed bounces on his toes a little. He’s happy to see his best friend and boyfriend – well, _hopefully_ his boyfriend, they need to talk about that – complimenting each other.

”So, do you like the theme?” Troy asks Abed.

”Yes,” Abed answers, ”I especially love the velvet rope. Although, I’m not sure what makes _that_ a VIP area.” Abed points to a bleak sectioned off corner. 

Jeff grins at Abed and notices that his bowtie is crooked. 

”Abed, your tie,” Jeff points at it.

”Hmm? Oh,” Abed looks down. He tries to fix it but somehow makes it worse.

”Here, let me see,” Jeff offers. Abed faces Jeff and lets him fix his bowtie. He admires how naturally the movements come to Jeff. 

”There, _much_ better,” says Jeff, admiring his work and Abed’s appearance. 

”Thank you, Jeff,” Abed appreciates, ”You’re good at that.”

Did Jeff just _blush?_ Troy feels like he’s intruding on a private moment. 

”I’m going go grab some food and see who else is here,” Troy informs them, ”I’ll, _uh_ , see you later.”

Abed looks away from Jeff to say bye to Troy, ”Okay, see you later!”

Jeff watches Troy hastily head towards the food table.

”Huh,” Jeff wonders, ”Troy seemed to be in a hurry.”

Abed shurgs. ”He probably just wants first dibs on the spread.”

”Yeah, _maybe_ ,” says Jeff, playing with his cuffs. Jeff is hungry too, but he isn’t sure if he should join Troy at the food table or not.

They go to the makeshift bar and order drinks instead. Jeff orders scotch, no surprise there, and Abed orders a beer.

”I also told Troy that I was coming here with you tonight. _No, not like that,_ ” Abed adds, “He might be giving us space to hang out.”

Jeff looks at Abed next to him and then Troy from across the room. He knows keeping things from Troy is hard for Abed. He also knows that Troy cares about both of them. 

“You can tell Troy,” Jeff decides. 

Abed spits out his drink and it dribbles off his chin and onto his jacket. He’s taken aback by Jeff’s statement, but appreciates fulfilling the spit take trope. He uses his napkin to wipe his mouth.

“Bathroom?” Jeff asks, dabbing Abed’s jacket with another napkin.

Troy notices them leave together and takes note of it.   
  


Jeff opens the bathroom door and throws out the napkin to replace it with a damp paper towel. He lightly presses it on Abed’s jacket. 

“I just remembered that I have a stain remover pen in my car. I can go get it,” Jeff offers.

Abed puts his hand over Jeff’s.

“ _Jeff_ , wait a second,” he tries to hold his hands still. Jeff takes the hint and stops his attempt to clean Abed’s jacket.

“Yeah?” Jeff asks, focused on their hands touching. 

“Jeff,” he starts, “Did you say that I could tell Troy?”

“I did say that,” Jeff says firmly. 

He sounds certain about it. What changed?

“Are you _sure?_ ” Abed asks. 

“Troy is important to you and I feel ready for him to know, so yes, I’m sure,” he says.

“Okay,” Abed feels a rush of relief, “I’ll let you know when I tell him.”

Jeff presses their foreheads together and they both breathe in the same stale air around them. Abed leans on the sink behind him and feels wetness seep into his pants. A public bathroom might _not_ be the most romantic place.

“My outfit isn’t cooperating tonight,” Abed whispers even though they’re alone.

“Yeah, but it’s doing _wonders_ for me,” Jeff flirts. 

Abed giggles, “ _Is that so?_ ” He moves away from Jeff’s embrace and does a dramatic spin. Jeff likes the view, but Abed doesn’t take the slightly wet floor into account. He slips and Jeff quickly catches him.

“ _Okay_ , time to leave the bathroom,” says Jeff, “I’ll add your jacket to my next dry cleaning order.”

“I’d appreciate that,” Abed replies.

He’s still holding onto Jeff when they exit the bathroom. They bump into Troy around the corner. 

“Hi, Troy,” says Abed, letting go of Jeff.

“Hey, how was the food?” Jeff asks.

Troy stares at them.

“ _Troy?_ ” Abed worries about his best friend’s silence.

Troy folds his arms and continues his stare. Abed can tell he’s trying to figure _something_ out. 

“Want to head back inside?” Jeff suggests, “We haven’t danced yet.”

Troy softens. “Yeah, okay.”

There’s still an obvious tension.

The rest of the study group shows up, minus Pierce who had some kind of cult-related event tonight. They all head to the dance floor, but Troy hangs back. 

Jeff and Abed dance close to each other. It’s an upbeat song and their dancing _seems_ platonic, yet Troy can tell that there’s something _different_ about Abed. The way he’s looking at Jeff... it’s like they’re the only two in the room right now. He wonders if the rest of the study group notice this. Annie and Britta are dancing right next to them, but seem unaware. 

Troy feels a pang of jealousy. Did he want to be in Jeff’s place? No, Troy would rather make a blanket fort with Abed and watch TV together.

Jeff takes Abed’s hand and twirls him around a few times. Abed gets dizzy and leans against Jeff. They laugh together. Abed tugs on Jeff’s shoulder and leads him to the food table. Troy sees Jeff pick out the appetizers with the textures that Abed likes. He sees Abed quickly squeeze Jeff’s arm.

“ _Oh shit_ , it’s him!” Troy whispers to himself.

Leonard overhears him and gives him a funny look.  
  
Troy ignores it. Everything made sense now. Abed and Jeff were totally _a_ _thing!_ Troy still had _a lot_ of questions though. This was wrinkling his brain. He felt tired and needed to process all of this.

Troy walks over to the study group and tells them that he’s leaving. 

“Bye! Enjoy the rest of your night,” Troy says to everyone. Abed and Troy do their handshake. Annie, Britta, and Shirley give him hugs. 

In a quieter voice, he talks to Abed and Jeff separately, ” _Have fun you two!_ ”

Abed wonders what _that_ means as Troy leaves the dance. 


	7. Getting Official

It’s been two weeks since the dance. Troy starts to notice all the casual touches Abed and Jeff exchange. They stand closer than necessary in the cafeteria line, their hands touch longer when they pass things, they adjust each other’s clothing, and Jeff touches Abed’s back or shoulders when he walks by sometimes. 

Abed told Troy that he was bisexual at the end of last year. Troy was accepting, albeit he _did_ ask a few inappropriate questions – he was unlearning some of the bigotry that he grew up with. Abed appreciated his efforts and Troy was honored that Abed trusted him. Abed wasn't actively trying to hide his sexuality, but it wasn't something he discussed often. Troy wasn’t sure about Jeff’s sexuality. He figured that Jeff was bisexual as well. 

They have yet to confirm it, but Troy is _pretty_ sure they’re together. There’s a lot of evidence. Their interactions are simultaneously sweet and heated. He has trouble understanding their relationship at first. The more he thinks about it though, the more it makes sense. Abed and Jeff are more alike than people realize. They also challenge each other, which they both desperately need. Troy hopes the rest of the group will view their relationship this way when the time comes. He doesn’t think this is a fling or a short term situation. 

Troy decides to surprise Abed with some retro video game posters he found at the thrift shop. He figures that Abed is probably at his dorm. He gets there and goes to knock, but he hears a noise that makes him pause. It’s muffled through the door, yet still clear enough to make out the words.

“Jeff... yes, _ohh!_ ” he hears Abed moan, “Mmm, that feels so good...”

Abed’s moans are accompanied by the sounds of a bed creaking and Jeff’s groans, which... _oh my god_. If Troy hadn’t already suspected they were together his head would have exploded right now. Instead, he freezes for a moment and then backs away from the door. He speed walks out of the building. 

Troy wonders if they were doing butt stuff. He shakes his head, trying to get the image out of his brain. He was happy for his friends, but he didn’t want to think about _that_.

After classes the next day, Abed and Troy are playing video games together at the dorm. Troy tries not to think about what Abed may have done with Jeff in this room yesterday.

Suddenly, Abed pauses the game. He doesn’t look away from the TV. 

“Um, Abed?” Troy asks, “What’s going on?”

“I’m seeing Jeff,” Abed blurts out. His hands squeeze the controller so hard that it might break, “ _Romantically_ ,” he adds.

Troy slowly takes the controller out of Abed’s hands. He grabs something for Abed to stim with instead, he finds a small container of putty and takes it out. 

“Here,” Troy offers.

Abed takes a deep breath and accepts it. 

“Thank you,” Abed whispers.

Troy sits back down next to him.

“Thank you for telling me,” says Troy.

Abed eyes widen then he turns to Troy.

“You aren’t surprised?” Abed questions.

Troy shakes his head, “No, I kinda put the pieces together at the dance.”

“ _Oh_ ,” says Abed, playing with the putty in his palm.

They sit in silence for a moment, both processing this information. 

”I wanted to tell you that night. Jeff said I could tell you, but you left early...” Abed explains, ”Then I kept overthinking how to tell you about this new _development_.”

“So... how _is_ this new development?” Troy asks.

Abed closes his eyes and hums contentedly before he responds.

“It’s good,” he answers, “ _Really_ good.”

Troy smiles, “I’m happy for you, man.”

It feels like a weight has been lifted from Abed’s shoulders.

”If you told me this last year, I wouldn't have believed it,” Troy adds, ”But... after seeing y’all being cute. I get it.”

”Yeah, we’re pretty cute,” Abed agrees. 

Abed looks down at his hands for a few moments and Troy notices him open his mouth slightly a few times.

”Did you want to tell me something else?” Troy asks.

He nods. “Jeff called me his _boyfriend_ this morning,” Abed informs him, “We weren’t putting labels on it until today.”

“Oh, wow,” Troy exclaims, “That’s awesome!”

He gives Abed a high five, making him laugh.

Troy leaves an hour later. They hug after their handshake. Abed is thankful for having such an awesome best friend. 

Abed texts Jeff after Troy is gone.

**Abed: Hey! I just told Troy**

**Jeff: How did it go?**

**Abed: Good! It turns out that Troy already put the pieces together**

**Jeff: Really? Astute Troy Barnes, who would have guessed!**

**Abed: Don't underestimate Troy. Also, we’ve kinda been all over each other lately**

Abed presses send. He then realizes that Jeff might not like this observation. Abed has nothing to worry about, because Jeff texts him back a moment later. 

**Jeff: I‘m starting to care less about what other people think. I just want to touch you**

Abed can feel his face heat up reading Jeff’s last text. He rereads it a few times before he responds.

**Abed: How about touching me right now? ;)**

He taps his fingers against the side of his phone, waiting for Jeff to reply. Was the winky face too much? 

**Jeff: Chang won’t be around tonight. How about I pick you up and we go to my place?**

Abed’s hands feel tingly and his cheeks feel warm. They haven’t gone to Jeff’s apartment yet. 

**Abed: What time?**

**Jeff: I’m still on campus. I can head to your dorm now if you want**

**Abed: Okay, I’ll get ready. See you soon :)**

Abed’s day is going _pretty damn well_.

**Author's Note:**

> Shout-out to all the writers in this tag! I love this small ship and appreciate you writing for it.


End file.
